The navy’s Hsiaohsuehshan (小雪山) radar station — one of only a few high-altitude radar installations — plays a key role in securing Taiwan’s western seas, Chinese-language newspaper the United Daily News (UDN) reported on Sunday.
The station is perched atop Hsiaohsuehshan, a lesser peak of the rugged Hsuehshan Range (雪山山脈) that straddles the border between Taichung and Miaoli County.
At 3,020m from the mountain’s foot, the station’s horizon is 20km in the distance, bringing ships passing through the Taiwan Strait within its range, the report said.
The facility was built to replace an old navy and air force joint radar station on Hsinchu County’s Leshan (樂山), which passed to the exclusive jurisdiction of the air force after a US-made phased-array radar system was installed, the UDN said.
The Hsiaohsuehshan site used to house a Chinese Television System (CTS) TV antenna, but was taken over by the navy following its abandonment in the aftermath of the 921 Earthquake in 1991, it said.
The site was a boon to the navy, as the new radar station’s elevation is 400m higher than its predecessor’s, improving its detection range, the newspaper said.
The inaccessible location of the base poses unique challenges for the navy and marine corps personnel stationed there, as supplies from military stores in Taichung’s Taiping District (太平) have to be transported through difficult terrain that is covered by snow in winter, it said.
No commissary or medical officers are available on base and the personnel carry their own snacks and medicines on the way up, it said.
The sailors and marines often need to fight against the elements, as the antenna masts have to be taken down before typhoons and during summer they are constantly called on to repair lightning damage caused by thunderstorms, it said.
In consideration of the austere conditions, troops stationed on Hsiaohsuehshan are on a 30-day rotation, where they are allowed 10 days of rest and recreation for every 20 days on duty, it said.
Due to the base’s remoteness and the garrison’s small size, troops on the mountain develop ties of strong brotherhood, station commander Lieutenant Commander Hsieh Chi-ho (謝吉和) told the UDN.
“Disciplinary problems stemming from personal conflict rarely occur,” he was quoted as saying.
Chuang Chung-neng (莊忠能), a naval electronic warfare specialist with a non-commissioned rank, told the newspaper that he had been deployed to 18 radar stations under the Naval Maritime and Surveillance Command before volunteering for Hsiaohsuehshan four years ago.
“I am used to the discipline and life in the mountains. If they let me, I would choose to serve here until retirement,” he said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as